Phoenix Suns cautiously approaching free agency

Point guard, wing sought with eye to 2012 salary cap

This is the week the Suns will start work as a team, but they won't be a complete one.

There is still roster work ahead for the Suns, who will start practicing Saturday at Grand Canyon University Arena.

The Suns need to sign free agents, but there is no reason to expect them to chase the top ones.

Every Suns move will be made with July 1, 2012, in mind. The Suns want to preserve the cap space they have set up for next summer's free agency, when they could sign one or two maximum-salary free agents from a potential pool led by Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Deron Williams.

The free-agent names will not be so scintillating for this contracted off-season, which began Wednesday with teams able to sketch deals with player agents. Teams can begin signing free agents Friday, when the Suns will first meet as a team.

The Suns are focusing free-agency pursuits on adding a wing player and a point guard. Keeping the rights to Aaron Brooks, a restricted free agent averaging 12.3 points and 4.5 assists in China, puts a $5 million salary-cap hold on the books that keeps the Suns over the salary cap.

That prevents them from pursuing any amnesty waivers and limits spending to some or all of the $5 million midlevel exception for a wing player and another for a point guard. Brooks' Guangdong contract binds him to play in China until its postseason ends in March.

The Suns also have trade exceptions of $5.7 million and $1.9 million from the Amar'e Stoudemire sign-and-trade deal with New York and the five-player Orlando trade.

The Stoudemire one would have expired July 11, but the lockout began July 1, meaning the Suns likely will get a 10-day extension on using it to make up salary difference in trade. However, that would require taking on extra salary in a deal, an unlikely move if it undermines the 2012 cap space.

The Suns were interested in restricted free agent Marcus Thornton, a 24-year-old shooting guard who averaged 21.3 points in 27 games last season after being traded from New Orleans to Sacramento.

However, the Kings need to spend at least $16 million to get to the new minimum salary cap and made Thornton a priority. Phoenix also has to weigh whether a weak defender helps their emphasis on defensive improvement.

Like Arron Afflalo, Thornton's stock likely is rising out of the Suns' price range.

Another swingman of interest is Anthony Parker, 36, from Cleveland, where Suns General Manager Lance Blanks worked. Parker has interest from Boston, a contender, and New York, where his brother-in-law, Shelden Williams, plays.

The high-character shooting guard averaged 8.3 points last season and made 38 percent of his 3-pointers.

Point-guard targets are nebulous, particularly in a cautious market waiting for CBA rules to unfold.

It is not a loaded free-agent class, but the Suns just need a stopgap to back Nash and might not spend more than a minimum contract. Free-agent point guards include Mario Chalmers, T.J. Ford, Sebastian Telfair, Mike Bibby, Carlos Arroyo and Earl Watson.